Navigational sounding-machine.



W. THOMSON.

NAVIGATIONAL SOUNDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 31, 1906.

Patented July 13, 1909.

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ANDREW. n. uuum co. PHOTOLHPIDGRAPNERS. wnsmmmu, u c. 4

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM THOMSON, OF LARGS, SCOTLAND, ASSIGNOR TO KELVIN AND .TAIMIES WHITE LIMITED, OF GLASGOW, SCOTLAND.

NAVIGATIONAL SOUNDING-MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM THOMSON, BARON KELVIN or LARGS, of Largs, Scotland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Connected with N avigatlonal Sounding-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention, which relates to navigational sounding machines, has for its object to produce a machine which shall offer a constant resistance to egress of the wire with a View to getting flying soundings, approXimately satisfactory, without the constant use of a depth gage. Steel wire is used for the sounding line, which is coiled on a drum. hen the wire is being paid out, this drum runs loose on the main spindle.

In order that the invention may be properly understood and readily carried into effect, there is hereunto appended one sheet of drawings, of which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a navigational sounding machine embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a back elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan of the indicating dial placed on the top of the machine.

The mechanism for braking the drum of the sounding machine, illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, is the same as that described in British Patent N o. 220301903, with the addition of a springy washer 2, which pushes the reel clear of the lignum vitae a; when the pressure on the other lignum vitae b, is relieved. Thus the reel can run free on the spindle, and it may be clamped by means of two annular surfaces of lignum vitae a, I), carried by the two brake-disks c, d, and brought into contact with the reel a by action of a nut and a thread cut on the spindle 6. One of these brakedisks, namely, that marked 0 is keyed to the spindle e aforesaid. The other brakedisk marked (2 is controlled by a nut Working on a portion of the spindle which is screwcut as shown. It is made in one casting with this nut.

The nut f forms the center boss of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 31, 1906.

Patented July 13, 1969.

Serial No. 328,640.

wheel {1 which has spokes h, Fig. 1, and a rim i, in the circumference of which a number of notches j are cut, the object of the notches being to allow the entry of a stop pin 70 adapted for temporarily clamping the wheel 9 and nut f to the frame of the machine.

The constant resistance to egress of the Wire q is arranged'for as follows :On one side of the reel is fitted a projecting rim Z in which is cut a V-groove m, the angle of the V being for example about 40. In the groove of the pulley m is laid a brake-cord n, to the ends of which are attached weights 0, 1), one weight, namely that marked 0, being about three or four times as heavy as the other one marked 1). For example, the heavy weight may be 6 lbs. and the light weight 2 lbs. These weights are made of cylindrical pieces of lead, in which iron hooks for fastening them. to the brake-cord are fixed. The weights 0, 7), move vertically in guide-tubes 0 p and the brake-cord n is of such length as to allow about 5 cms. travel. The heavy Weight is at the end which the cord tends to lift, by means of its friction with the groove of the pulley m, when the wire 1 is running off the reel a After this weight has been lifted a few centimeters, the light weight comes to the bottom of its guide-tube, and the tension of the cord n then ceases to be enough to lift the heavy weight farther. Thus the action is automatic. The resistance ofiered to the reel a at the radius of the V-groove, is very nearly constant, being the difference in tension of the brake-cord at the two ends, and, of these tensions, the larger is absolutely constant, while the smaller, though subject to frictional variations, always remain small, and so does not cause any important variation in the resistance against the rotation of the reel.

A large horizontal dial r for indicating the number of fathoms of wire paid out is placed on the top of the framework 8, as seen more particularly in Fig. 3, and the pointer for this dial is worked from a worm wheel 8 which turns With the Wire reel or drum a. The gointer r and Worm Wheel 3 are connected y the necessary gearing. The dial of the counter is graduated to show the actual amount of Wire out.

Having thus described the invention, What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a navigational sounding machine, the combination of an axially movable reel, a braking member adapted to frictionally engage one side of the reel, a second braking member adapted to frictionally engage the other side of the reel, means for forcing said second braking member against the side of the reel to cause the reel to be clamped between the braking members, and means whereby the reel is automatically moved out of frictional engagement With said firstnamed braking member When the pressure on the second braking member is relieved.

WILLIAM THOMSON.

Witnesses JOHN LIDDLE, JOHN TRAIN LIDDLE. 

